An introduction to the folklore and popular religion of the Malay Peninsula. Probably the most significant and certainly the most famous book written on the subject.
From the Introduction:
Briefly, the purpose of the author has been to collect into a Book of Malay Folklore all that seemed to him most typical of the subject amongst a considerable mass of materials, some of which lay scattered in the pages of various other works, others in unpublished native manuscripts, and much in notes made by him personally of what he had observed during several years spent in the Malay Peninsula, principally in the State of Selangor. The book does not profess to be an exhaustive or complete treatise, but rather, as its title indicates, an introduction to the study of Folklore, Popular Religion, and Magic as understood among the Malays of the Peninsula.
Contents:
- Nature
a. Creationof the World
b. Natural Phenomena - Man and his Place in the Universe
a. Creation of Man
b. Sactity of the Body
c. The Soul
d. Animal, Vegetable and Mineral Souls - Relations with the Supernatual World
a. The Magician
b. High Places
c. Nature of Rites - The Malay Pantheon
a. Gods
b. Spirits, Demons, and Ghosts - Magic Rites Connected with the Several Department of Nature
a. Air — 1. Wind and Weather Charms; 2. Birds and Bird Charms
b. Earth — 1. Building Ceremonies and Charms; 2. Beasts and Beast Charms; 3. Vegetation Charms; 4. Minerals and Mining Charms
c. Water — 1. Purification by Water; 2. The Sea, Rivers and Streams; 3. Reptile and Reptile Charms; 4. Fishing Ceremonies
d. Fire — 1. Production of Fire; 2. Fire Charms - Magic Rites as Affecting the Life of Man
a. Birth-Spirits
b. Birth Ceremonies
c. Adolescence
d. Personal Ceremonies and Charms
e. Betrothal
f. Marriage
g. Funerals
h. Medicine
i. Dances, Sports, and Games
j. Theatrical Exhibitions
k. War and Weapons
l. Divination and the Black Art
